SCUTTLEBUTT 1344 - June 5, 2003

Powered by SAIC (www.saic.com), an employee-owned company. Scuttlebutt is a
digest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock
talk . . . with a North American focus. Corrections, contributions, press
releases, constructive criticism and contrasting viewpoints are always
welcome, but save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere.

A NEW CUP PLAYER
(James Boyd of The Daily Sail spoke to match race World Champion Karol
Jablonski about Poland's forthcoming America's Cup campaign. Here's a brief
excerpt from his story.)

"At this stage we are lucky that we, the Polish team, can compete with the
best guys and America's Cup teams in the world and to beat them. On the
match racing circuit, we have beaten almost all of them. It is good to know
that we are able to compete on the same level and we are not second class
sailors. It is good for us and it gives us a chance to talk seriously about
an America's Cup project. Because human power is still number one in the
America's Cup."

Jablonski says their Cup campaign has been modelled on that of Team New
Zealand. "We plan to have a family of four or five sponsors, because we are
not able to find one rich guy who will finance it. Team New Zealand showed
many times that with less money and good management you can be successful.
Everything ends up with human power. When you don't have good management
and when you have problem with the sailors, even if you have good money you
can't fight it."

Now it is the right time for Poland to mount a Cup campaign he maintains.
"There is no problem with money in Poland," he says. "We have a few rich
companies. But it takes time to make such a project well known and to
explain to them what the project is all about, because they ask 'why do you
need 30 million Euros for only one sail boat?" And now this project has to
be a national project to promote Poland and has to show that Poland is a
country with big possibilities. - The Daily Sail website, full story:
http://thedailysail.com

PADDED SAILING SHORTS & PANTS
Sailing Angles trademarked Sailing Shorts and Longpants have padded rear
and knee fender options and come with rugged double Cordura seats and
knees! You'll love their functional deep pockets, non-corroding zippers,
waist adjustment straps, and double waist buttons - all designed to help
you sail and play hard. Breathable, water resistant Supplex makes these
quick dry shorts easy to pack and an absolute pleasure on the race course!
Sizes: 26"-44", 4"-14" in women's, and available in 2 leg lengths. Colors:
aloha silver, navy, khaki, red, black and khaki/navy combo. Now at APS,
Layline and http://www.sailingangles.com

ROY DISNEY
(The June issue of Sailing World magazine has an interview with Roy Disney.
owner of the R/P 77 Turbosled, Pyewacket. Additionally, the magazine has
just posted an expanded version of that story on its website, and the
following is an excerpt from some of the previously unpublished material.)

Sailing World: You're 73, still an officer of the Walt Disney Company. Does
work keep you sharp and competitive and eager to go sailing-or needing to
go sailing. Or is it the sailing that keeps you young enough to keep working?

Roy Disney: It probably goes both ways. You need to get away from both
things I think. Sailing competitively takes concentration and you can't get
lazy because there are too many guys that won't. But you can't do that-at
least I couldn't-on a regular basis, so getting away from it at the studio
is fine. And then getting away from the studio and being out at sea-I know
they can't call me out there. That's pretty good too.

SW: Inshore racing or offshore-you've done both recently. Which do you prefer?

RD: I love both. Inshore racing is great because you get to go home and get
in a bed every night. But the distance racing is about going somewhere and
arriving in a new place and getting there with a degree of style and
knowing you did it well. My first Transpac we got that old 52 Shamrock over
the finish line after 11 and a half days, and all I could think of was, I
didn't care how we did it, we did it! Now it's become a question of doing
it well more and more, and there's a lot of pride.

SW: You've built a strong, loyal crew. What's the No. 1 characteristic you
look for in a prospect?

RD: Obviously, they're all good sailors. There's a comradeship that goes
with it. We've had people on the boat on and off through the years that
didn't fit. We knew it and they knew it. That was the end of that. No word
spoken or sour grapes or anything. It is a gang of people that's been
together and had a lot fun and been through a lot over quite a long period
of time now. I think it's a kind of a pride in ourselves as a group that
people become attached to it when they see it. If you talk to somebody who
sails with us and hasn't been with us before, like last summer going to
Bermuda; they all get off boat and say, "Wow, you guys really work together
well." I don't think anybody can say anything that's nicer than that.

SW: Do you ever think of races in terms of being movies. Every one has a
story line, lots of scenes.

RD: I don't. I wish I could make a movie about it somehow or other, but I
know that it tends to be really boring to most people. When Leslie and I
started doing our Transpac movie we said right from the start, let's
understand that this is not a movie about boats but about people. I think
that's why most people who see it who don't know much about sailing
actually enjoy it. It's got the history to it and real people you can
empathize with. Actually, I was flicking through the TV the other night and
some offbeat channel was broadcasting that old "Wind" movie. I watched for
about 10 minutes in horrible fascination. It was maybe one of the worst
movies ever made. - Sailing World website, full story:
http://www.sailingworld.com/sw_article.php?articleID=1853

NEWS BRIEFS
* The Cap Gemini Ernst & Young and Schneider Electric maxi-trimaran is
now back at sea. Having returned from their 68-day circumnavigation on 20
March, Olivier de Kersauson and his 10-man crew have now set off on a new
campaign in the English Channel and the North Sea. These waters have been
selected by de Kersauson's team as training grounds, "To get as close as
possible to racing conditions and maximise our performance. We will compare
them against those we achieved last year with the boat in round-the-world
trim, which means a whole tonne heavier." - http://www.grandsrecords.com

* America's Cup skipper Paolo Cian has co-designed a new match race yacht
that has been chosen as official boat for the 2003 World Match Race at Riva
del Garda, on Lake Garda in August. The new boat, Blu Sail 24 Sport is a
complete revisitation of the former O.D. Blu Sail 24, designed by Luca
Brenta. The project has totally removed cabins and interiors, creating a
very spacious cockpit to the advantage of crew's maneuvers during match
race regatta. The new Blu Sail 24 Sport has the same hull shape of her old
sister, but a new keel design for more power and stability, even the sail
area has been slightly reduced, for a tight control in strong wind
conditions. The first event using the boat is June 5-7 at the Blurimini
Match Race, ISAF Grade 2 event, with ten skippers including, Karol
Jablonski, Paolo Cian, James Spithill, Bjorn Hansen, Mathieu Richard,
Kelvin Harrap, Andy Green, Ian Williams, Sebastien Col, Lars Norbjaerg.
- http://www.sailing.org

THE NEXT CUP
(Michael Reinsch talked with Alinghi's Jochen Schümann about next America's
Cup for a story in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Here's an excerpt.)

"We will split 'Alinghi' into two companies. One will defend the title, and
the other one will organize the competition as well and fair as possible.
The regatta director will be allowed to decide how long the match race will
take. After one and a half to two hours, the perfect length for a
television broadcast, it should be over.

"Before the match races of the challengers of 2007 we want to sail a fleet
regatta with the defender. In the course of eight weeks everything should
be over. In the two years before we want to establish a kind of world cup
series for the America's Cup yachts.

"Yes, (that will weaken our position as defender of the title), but we will
strengthen sailing as a whole and the Cup. In early days the titleholders
would fight tooth and nail and bend the rules. We want to win and pass on
our passion for sailing. The trophy is only worth something if the
competition is attractive." - Jochen Schümann,

TEAM ONE NEWPORT PRODUCES BOATING FASHION SHOW
Team One Newport's owner, Martha Parker, has raced all around the world on
boats ranging from Ynglings to Swan 68's and Farr 40's and in events from
Swedish Match to the One Ton Worlds. And now she is producing a fashion
show for TV to share her knowledge on how to dress for all types of sailing
conditions. Martha's picks will be available at Team One Newport, where you
can find the best gear to keep you warm and dry. Martha and her Team One
experts are also available for advice when you call at 800-VIP-GEAR or
visit http://www.team1newport.com

COLLEGIATE WOMEN'S NAs
Grosse Pointe Shores, MI (June 4, 2003) - Leading from the very first race
on Monday, Tufts University (Medford, MA) won the 2003 Inter-Collegiate
Sailing Association (ICSA) Women's North American Championship today.
Mid-Atlantic powerhouses St. Mary's College (St. Mary's City, MD) and Old
Dominion University (Norfolk, VA) finished second and third, respectively.

Four A-division races were sailed today, with 6 held in the B-division.
Eighteen races in each division were completed over the past three days at
the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club on Lake St. Clair in new Vanguard 420s
provided by Vanguard Sailboats (Portsmouth, R.I.), a partner in the ICSA
Growth and Development Project. Fog and light drizzle made spectating
difficult at GPYC, but there was enough wind for the sailors to
successfully battle the large chop and waves on the lake.

This was the first of three ICSA Spring Championships. The ICSA North
American Team Race Championship is scheduled to begin Thursday. The
ICSA/Gill North American Coed Dinghy Championship will be held June 8-10. -
http://www.collegesailing.org/2003

QUALITY CONTROL
In our efforts to insure the quality distribution of Scuttlebutt, you
should have received yesterday an email detailing a couple problems that
may be hindering your regular weekday delivery of Scuttlebutt. We have had
a tremendous response, including many very kind notes of appreciation for
Scuttlebutt (thank you!). If you sent us an email with a request, hang in
there as it will take us a few days to get to everyone. Also remember that
the Scuttlebutt website is available anytime you need to update your email
information. - http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com

LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com)
(Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name and may be
edited for clarity or space - 250 words max. This is not a chat room or a
bulletin board - you only get one letter per subject, so give it your best
shot and don't whine if others disagree.)

* From Lenore Goldman: (re Mr. McBrearty letter) One of my pet peeves are
guys who race and continually complain about the race committee, but never
do any race committee work. We are unpaid volunteers! I've even had one
sailor complain to the race committee that the winds were too shifty! Mr.
McBrearty, any time you would like to work on a Race Committee mark set
boat please let me know. I will be happy to take you out on my personal
boat "Seductress" which I supply to help the race committee, as my crew. I
hope you pick a good day with temps in the 50's, 20 knot winds with six
foot seas, rain, hail, lightning, and all that while we're trying to set up
for the next race. Oh, did I tell you there is no cabin on my boat? I think
it will give you a new appreciation for the Race Committee. Oh, one more
thing, results are posted as soon as all of the protests are settled. Would
you prefer incorrect information to be posted when, as a result of the
protest hearings, all which could change?

* From Kurt Hoehne: PHRF did what it needed to do, give us racing through
the demise of IOR and sputtering of IMS and now Americap. But we all know
the terminal problems. And US Sailing has had plenty of chances to make
Americap work.

IRC is being adopted around the world. While having no direct experience
with it, I've heard that it does a good job of handicapping boats as
disparate as Pyewacket and a 70s Swan. Also, designers get to sharpen their
pencils and come up with something new. It's not terribly expensive or hard
to administer. Of course it's not perfect, but it seems to be providing
great racing for the rest of the world.

US Sailing will not do this for us. We have to go to YCs and event managers
and start asking for it. No, demanding it. If people get a core group
together in their area, they can get the ball rolling. Pacific
Northwesterners, how 'bout us?!

* From Chuck Hawley: There is an exemption specifically for CO2 cylinders
on aircraft, but as you can see from the wording, it's unworkable for the
vast majority of travelers.

"With approval of the aircraft operator, one small carbon dioxide cylinder
fitted into a self-inflating life-jacket, plus one spare cartridge, may be
carried by a passenger or crew member in checked or carry-on baggage." -
49CFR175.10a(25)

I have spoken with representatives of the FAA and DOT, and in every case,
they have strongly discouraged me from even trying to contact the "aircraft
operator" and get my life jacket on board. There was no logical argument
process possible with the type of person with whom I spoke (the aircraft
already have hundreds of CO2 cylinders on board, this is non-flammable, I
will remove the cylinder, etc.)

I have also traveled to countless Safety at Sea Seminars with inflatable
PFDs. I generally check them in my luggage, and remove the CO2 so that if
the device were to inflate, it won't blow my seabag apart. I know of no CO2
cylinders which have gone off spontaneously except through premature
inflation caused by a wet inflation mechanism.

* From Richard Sizefein: Anyone who thinks it should be okay to carry a CO2
powered inflatable PFD on a commerical airlines should be required to
repeat childhood. Those of us with appropriately misspent youths know that
CO2 cartridges aren't just "air in a can." They are a power source that can
readily be used to accelerate all kinds of ordinary objects to highly
destructive velocities. Inflatable PFDs as checked luggage, okay, but as
carry-on luggage is just plain nuts. U.S. Sailing is way off base if it
advocates for carry-on status.

* From Ted Robie: As of today Southwest Airlines policy does not allow self
inflating PFDs or anything with small CO2 cartridges as carry on or regular
baggage.

* From Andy Vare: As someone who has experienced the frustrations first
hand that come with fundraising, I am more than a little disappointed with
Mr. Rumsey's comments that sailors need to stop begging for donations
- especially in the larger context of the thread. The 90's wrought
tremendous amounts of wealth, most of which was highly concentrated amongst
tech entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. The collapse of that
marketplace has created a negative "wealth effect" that severely constricts
financial support for legitimate athletic efforts like Olympic sailing.
Think of your benefactor's marginal propensity to "give" when they are
feeling 20% poorer than last year, which was 20% poorer than the year
before. Even if they were highly wealthy to begin with, a haircut like that
can make anyone feel closed as a clam. Positive "wealth effects" are a
necessary precondition to funding for sailors, although the opportunity
cost of donated capital can be high if market returns are substantial. Such
is the risk of a system of notional value, I guess, but clearly it's a
desert out there right now. Ms. Lovell is right.

If we want younger people to represent us on the team, who may be less
jaded in their views, have fewer outside distractions to their sole focus
on sailing, etc. then there is no alternative to fundraising: asking for
money from older stakeholders, and giving them something in return, a
chance to be a member of a winning team.

* From Jon Gundersen: Scuttlebutt readers should listen to Line 7's Ross
Munroe, and listen closely - my personal experience has shown that he is
clearly a dedicated sponsor.

I sailed with Gavin Brady at the Congressional Cup Regatta on the Swedish
Match Tour and have one question to ask Paul Henderson - How is ISAF going
to improve the sport of sailing with the 10% of my share of the prize money
for second place? $60 dollars does not buy much these days. The Swedish
Match tour is a great event, but none of the participants are getting rich
from it, in fact most do not break even - how can the ISAF justify taking
yet another cut?

CURMUDGEON'S CONUNDRUM
Why do people point to their wrist when asking for the time, but don't
point to their crotch when they ask where the bathroom is?